{"id":677299,"date":"2026-01-14T19:19:24","date_gmt":"2026-01-14T19:19:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/677299\/"},"modified":"2026-01-14T19:19:24","modified_gmt":"2026-01-14T19:19:24","slug":"oregon-losing-projected-top-50-pick-to-the-nfl-draft","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/677299\/","title":{"rendered":"Oregon losing projected top-50 pick to the NFL Draft"},"content":{"rendered":"

Oregon losing projected top-50 pick to the NFL Draft<\/a> appeared first on ClutchPoints<\/a>. Add ClutchPoints as a Preferred Source by clicking here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The Oregon Ducks are processing several high-profile departures following their hard-fought performance in the College Football Playoff semifinal. Tight end Kenyon Sadiq has officially decided to leave<\/a> Eugene to enter the 2026 NFL Draft after a season where he solidified his status as the premier player at his position.<\/p>\n

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Sadiq led all tight ends in the nation with eight touchdown catches in 2025, providing a reliable target for the offense and nearly doubling his production from the previous year. Widely regarded as a top-ten overall prospect and the number one tight end on major draft boards, his exit marks the end of a rapid rise from a four-star recruit to a projected early first-round selection.<\/p>\n

Adding to the list of defensive exits, Pete Thamel reported on X that Oregon safety Dillon Thieneman is leaving school early<\/a> to declare for the NFL Draft. Thieneman earned first-team All-Big Ten honors in 2025 and second-team All-American honors, establishing himself as one of the most instinctive and productive defensive backs in the country.<\/p>\n

He is currently viewed as one of the draft\u2019s top safeties and a projected top-50 pick. His departure creates a significant void in a secondary that will need to replace his leadership and playmaking ability as the program prepares for the 2026 cycle.<\/p>\n

To bolster the offensive unit for incoming quarterback Dylan Raiola<\/a>, the Ducks have turned to the transfer portal to secure explosive new weapons. Former UAB wide receiver Iverson Hooks has committed to Oregon after a breakout season in which he recorded 72 receptions for 927 yards and seven touchdowns.<\/p>\n

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With two years of eligibility remaining, Hooks provides veteran experience for a receiving corps that must replace departing starters like Malik Benson. He will join a talented returning group that includes Jeremiah McClellan and Dakorien Moore, ensuring that the offense remains potent as the team retools for another deep postseason run.<\/p>\n

The coaching staff is now focused on integrating these new pieces and developing the next wave of stars to fill the gaps left by their NFL-bound veterans. As the 2026 season approaches, the Ducks appear well-positioned to compete at the highest level of the Big Ten once again.<\/p>\n

Related: Marcus Freeman confirms commitment to Notre Dame amid NFL rumors<\/a><\/p>\n

Related: All-Big Ten Michigan star withdraws from transfer portal<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Oregon losing projected top-50 pick to the NFL Draft appeared first on ClutchPoints. Add ClutchPoints as a Preferred…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":677300,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[4],"tags":[4955,332,32967,19134,3039,1972,7,98735,28626,49216,6,15,683,575,15847],"class_list":{"0":"post-677299","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-nfl-draft","8":"tag-2026-nfl-draft","9":"tag-college-football-playoff","10":"tag-dakorien-moore","11":"tag-dillon-thieneman","12":"tag-dylan-raiola","13":"tag-first-round-selection","14":"tag-football","15":"tag-jeremiah-mcclellan","16":"tag-kenyon-sadiq","17":"tag-malik-benson","18":"tag-nfl","19":"tag-nfl-draft","20":"tag-oregon","21":"tag-oregon-ducks","22":"tag-pete-thamel"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@nfl\/115895072619196263","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/677299","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=677299"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/677299\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/677300"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=677299"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=677299"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=677299"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}